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Rainbow, Moment DW, Notch or …….


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  • #3379164
    Christopher Gilmore
    BPL Member

    @chrisjgilmore

    Locale: Eureka

    OK folks, I’m sure this has been asked before but I can’t find it. I backpack without hiking poles and use a Downmat UL 7 pad. I’m 5’9″ 190 lbs and i have been using a bivy for the last many years.

    I’m now done with my bivy, I’m having a bit of a hard time scooting my old bones in and out of it.

    With that said I have had one of Henry’s tents in the past and really enjoyed it. I need a solo shelter and having interior space for me to sit up for easy in and out and the ability to easily get dressed inside is important to me. However after sleeping in a bivy for many years condensation is not my friend. Hence the two double wall tents and the Rainbow with the condensation protection.

    Pros and cons of each?        If you have a solid choice in the same or cheaper price range feel free to suggest but contrast against these tents in the Title please. (Rainbow, Moment DW & Notch)

    Thoughts?

    #3379165
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    As far as Tarptent goes… I only have experience with my Notch. I like it, but it’s a bit of a pain to set up. I have read many posts here written by people happy with their Moment tents… easier to set up they say.

    Personally, I have my Notch for very rainy climates as the tent doesn’t have to be getting wet while you put up the fly. However, it is a chore to put the Notch inner up without the fly, which I prefer on starry nights. So my solution is a more traditional tent with lots of netting for star viewing in the dryer climates, and the Notch for wetter climates like the Pacific Northwest.

    I’m sure you’ll get people who will argue with this… but that is what this one person has to say… Not going to argue about it

    billy

    #3379172
    Matthew / BPL
    Moderator

    @matthewkphx

    i purchased a Notch last summer. I was debating between it, the Moment DW and Protrail.

    The Moment seems like a slightly nicer experience overall with more adjustability, huge vestibules and easier setup. I wasn’t into the weight or having to deal with the long folding pole.

    The Protrail would be the best in my backpack but I didn’t like climbing out of the front entry of my old Contrail. I know you don’t seem interested in this model. I wasn’t either other than how easy it would be to pack.

    The Notch, for me, hits the sweet spot between the two. I think Billy is correct that setting up the inner by itself is a pain. I’ve not even bothered trying. I’m happy to roll the side doors up and look at the trees and stars at a little bit of an angle.

    The Rainbow looks really narrow up high. It’s never appealed to me.

    #3379179
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    Addressing 2 of your stated requirements:

    1. At 6’1″ and 220 lbs I found getting dressed in the Notch not terribly easy…doable, but not great. Other than interior volume I loved pretty much everything about the Notch…it was just too small for me.
    2. Since you say you don’t use trekking poles, are you prepared to carry dedicated poles for the Notch?
    #3379181
    Matthew / BPL
    Moderator

    @matthewkphx

    Whoops. I misread. I thought you did use trekking poles. Sans poles the Moment looks much more attractive.

     

    #3379209
    Thomas Willard
    BPL Member

    @tomw

    Locale: Philadelphia

    I had the Moment DW (newer version) and currently have the Rainbow 1P.  Both are great tents but the Rainbow takes the upper hand as far as feeling of space goes.  I’m 6’2″ and can sit up and feel roomy in the Rainbow.  In the Moment, I could sit up but felt restricted on the sides, even with the floor pulled out wide.

    I have never used the liner for the Rainbow as it sits 2″ from the overhead and with my height I value headroom.  However, as far as condensation goes, I have not had any dramatic mornings where I was cursing the shelter.  I have a little piece of Sham Wow type cloth I keep in the tent and use if needed.

    ETA: I have had both shelters in heavy rain.  The Moment DW gets an edge over the Rainbow in that department.  The Rainbow can take heavy rain but you have to really dial in your pitch and raise your floor up, so as long as you know how to get that done, the Rainbow is fine.

    P.S. My profile avatar is my feet in the Moment DW. Not much room at either end compared to the rectangular design of the Rainbow.

    #3379216
    Christopher Gilmore
    BPL Member

    @chrisjgilmore

    Locale: Eureka

    Correct I don’t carry poles but given my current pack weight carrying an extra pole(s) isn’t that big of a deal. I really like the rainbow and all of its features my concern is I pack into a lot of valleys where there are either creeks, rivers or lakes and condensation has always been an issue.

    My recent trip to the coast it looked like I had a monsoon inside my bivy thankfully I had decided to take my sawtooth which was waterproof so the second night I just went bagless. I like the idea of the DW tent being able to remove the fly and shake it out to speed drying. But it appears I could get the same from the liner and a camp shami in the rainbow. Thoughts?

    #3379229
    Stuart .
    BPL Member

    @lotuseater

    Locale: Colorado

    I had a Notch two years ago. I wanted to like it so much, but I struggled to deal with the confines. I’m 5’9″ and at the time I was about 190lbs. I felt like I went through contortions getting into the inner. I found the door opening too constricting given the small size of the inner. Previously I’ve owned the StratoSpire 1, and the extra space made a huge difference.

    Last year I went with the Hilleberg Enan, which some have said is a rip-off of the Moment DW. A different price point altogether, but after trying almost a dozen 1P shelters, I can finally say my search for the right one is over. If you’re determined to stay with TarpTent, then I’d give serious consideration to the Moment DW for the extra space that the arched pole offers vs the Notch.

    #3379284
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    I have both a Rainbow and a Notch.  I’m 6’5″, so my issues are somewhat different from yours, but at least regarding roominess, if it works for me it’ll be easy for you.  I’m using the Notch with its dedicated poles, at least until my fixed-length trekking poles wear out.

    The Rainbow is palatial.  If you like lots of wiggle room, go with the Rainbow.  The Notch is lots of things, but roomy ain’t one of them.  I can dress in it but it’s very, very tight.  Depending on the exact pitch, the mesh is often touching my head as I sleep (I use a Synmat UL7 plus a “pillow” of extra clothes in a stuff sack).

    The Notch is much better in the wind.  The Rainbow does a weird foldover thing in moderate side winds that can be very annoying.  One very hard wind bent the pole last spring.

    Either tent does fine in the rain, but you can’t leave the Rainbow door open in a calm rain like you can with the Notch.

    Two doors and two vestibules with the Notch beat the pants off one door and no chance for a view the other direction with the Rainbow.

    I find the Notch a lot easier to set up, but that may be because my Rainbow is older (2009) and the pole sleeve is a much tighter fit than on the newer ones.  It took some practice to crack the Notch’s code, but once I figured it out, it’s painless.

    The semi-solid inner is a nice option on the Notch if you ever want to set up in blowing snow or on the beach.

    My recommendation:  It depends on how important roominess is to you.  The Rainbow feels like twice the space in that regard.  But I give the nod to the Notch on virtually every other point.

    #3379315
    Matthew / BPL
    Moderator

    @matthewkphx

    Dang. The Notch seems roomy to me but I’m 5′ 6″ and about 160#. I haven’t thought of it as small.

    I’m also surprised to hear people talk about the Rainbow being roomy. It looks so narrow up top. I’ve read complaints about the DR not having enough width for two people to sit up simultaneously.

    #3379357
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    matthew king wrote:

    {Dang. The Notch seems roomy to me but I’m 5′ 6″ and about 160#. I haven’t thought of it as small.

    I’m also surprised to hear people talk about the Rainbow being roomy. It looks so narrow up top. I’ve read complaints about the DR not having enough width for two people to sit up simultaneously.}

    You squats don’t know how good you’ve got it! :-)  But it’s not just length and height–the Notch has almost no floor space leftover around a 20″x72″ pad, whereas the Rainbow has 10 inches on both sides along the full length.  Don’t get me wrong–I like my Notch, but the Rainbow is enormous by comparison.

    And I’m not surprised if the Double Rainbow is tight up top–it’s top is the same width as the single.  But in the latter you’re lying/sitting dead center, so there’s plenty of room.

    And back to the comparison with the Notch, the Rainbow has a lot more height for most of its length, even though the specs list the same height at peak (43″).

    #3379368
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    Interesting conflicting reports…

    Once again I would love to have the luxury of showing in person just how easy the Notch is to set up.

    I have done that with several local walkers on different models, the result was always the same, somehow they missed some details that maybe are obvious to some but not to others.

    Anyway, as far as shoulder room inside the Rainbow, this is how the 6′ well proportioned and non slouching TT model looks sitting on top of a 20″ wide  mat :

    that still is from the 3d video clip on the Rainbow page, under Videos.

    The door wall is where N7 is situated, very faint about level with his right shoulder.

    #3379402
    Christopher Gilmore
    BPL Member

    @chrisjgilmore

    Locale: Eureka

    So it seems pretty clear that if very roomy is important to me then the rainbow would be my best choice. It can actually hold a second person if needed with adequate vestibule space. However with the rainbow I will need to be careful even with light rainfall. However  if double wall and dual entries is important then the moment. Did I summarize correctly?

    Franco looking for your thoughts here!

    #3379403
    Bob Bankhead
    BPL Member

    @wandering_bob

    Locale: Oregon, USA

    Take a good look at the Double Rainbow instead of the Rainbow. They have the same peak height, floor length, and packed size. The costs are virtually the same ($4 more for the DR). The DR does weigh 5 ounces more, but for that, you get:

    Room for 2 real people to be comfortable. Palatial for 1 and all your gear fits inside

    2 doors – you can use whichever best suits the weather

    2 vestibules – no flat back wall to deform in the wind

    An additional 10 inches of floor width, which equates to an additional 6 square feet of floor area.

    The current RBs both have 2 extra tieout points on the arch pole if you want to add extra guylines for hellishly windy areas. In my opinion, the full dome geometry of the DR sheds wind much better than does the 1P RB with its almost flat side.  There used to be a video of a DR standing up to some ferocious winds. Maybe Franco can comment on that and supply the URL if it’s still available.

    The vestibules on both RBs can be set up in a “porch” configuration so rain can only get in if its blowing sideways, and you’d have sealed up the vestibules long before that.

    We bought a DR when they first came out and it has seen big winds and rains on the PCT and here in The Columbia Gorge in Oregon. We bought a 2nd DR a few years ago when the zippered vestibules replaced the old velcro model.

    To me, it’s well worth the extra 5 ounces for the extra space. And yes, 2 people CAN sit upright comfortably in the DR, despite the narrow peak width. You just sit FACING each other with your backs to the arch pole rather than sitting side by side. That said, with 2 in the tent, 1 must stay lying down while the other sits up to get dressed…..unless you want an elbow in your ribs.

     

    #3379404
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    Well I don’t know about having to be careful in light rain with the Rainbow, that hasn’t been the case for me.

    Often it has to do with site selection (see people wanting 10″ bathtubs when others, in the same area, use floorless shelters ) and or know how.

    Lets face it , some people “get” tents others don’t and that has very little to do with experience given I have seen many lousy set ups from very “experienced ” people.

    Anyway, Christopher, yes the Rainbow (for one) does have the largest usable room inside, the Moment DW has, with the Notch , the easiest ventilation/air flow options and at times the two doors do come handy (wind/rain shifting or someone moving in next to you)

    I see conflicting views on 6′ something guys and the Notch but at 5’8″ 150 lbs myself , I haven’t noticed …

    I suggest you get the one that appeals to you the most , that will make it work for you.

     

    BTW, both Bob and Todd made some very good points.

     

     

    #3379411
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    The only thing you have to be careful about with a Rainbow in a light rain is keeping the door shut.  The floor is wider (sticks out farther) than the top of the door, so rain falls directly on the floor if the door is open.

    #3379421
    Thomas Willard
    BPL Member

    @tomw

    Locale: Philadelphia

    I found this video to be helpful when I was pulling the plug on the Rainbow.  He also has a good hack for lifting the floor up for worse weather, which I went and did as soon as my tent arrived.  Tarptent Rainbow

    Something I do is bring an extra stake with guyline and use the “awning” feature a lot.  I find a stick and use that as a pole.  This enables me to have a view during crappy weather or ventilate more with coverage.

    #3379462
    Bob Bankhead
    BPL Member

    @wandering_bob

    Locale: Oregon, USA

    A nice review of the Double Rainbow, including a demo of the porch or awning set-up.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx262S8JR14

    #3379656
    Dean F.
    BPL Member

    @acrosome

    Locale: Back in the Front Range

    I’ll pimp the Moment a bit. I think the Rainbow does have a bit more useable space, but the Moment benefits from simplicity. I used to set mine up in 90 seconds flat. (No kidding- I timed it, and not rushing.) Minimal setup is only two stakes, and frankly you’d always be able to find two suitable objects to tie off to so you probably don’t even need the stakes. The single folding pole is really no issue at all, and easy to replace even after Henry is dead and his company has been bought out by North Face. And when fully set up with the extra ridgepole and guys it’s reasonably bomber.

    #3379692
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    The set up record for the Moment (from stuff sack to fully erected ) still stands at 49 sec .

    YouTube video

    I haven’t seen any other  tent set up that fast.
    (but I did have ideal conditions and racing clothing on…)

    #3379694
    Jonathon Self
    BPL Member

    @neist

    Locale: Oklahoma

    I am disappointed yakety sax isn’t playing in that video.

    So very disappointed…

    #3379714
    Theo Diekmann
    BPL Member

    @theo321

    Dean, how bomber is the Moment actually? Let’s say in comparison to a Hilleberg Akto or so? All info I have is a video on youtube (this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG4YeHwcXCY) where it seems to perform pretty poorly. But then again, every so often this is user/setup error as Franco frequently points out.

    #3379718
    Daniel Sweeney
    BPL Member

    @siskiyoudaniel

    Locale: SWVA

    My .02:  Depends on conditions and priorities.  Based on your requirements and the fact that you don’t carry trekking poles the Notch seems like an easy option to eliminate, the Moment is going to be roomier and you don’t get the double-use of poles benefit.  It seems like you’re worried about condensation based on experience in the places you’ve been camping… although condensation in a bivy and in a shelter are going to be drastically different.

     

    If I were choosing between these two shelters I would take the Moment.  I like the option of going without the inner, I tend to camp in windier, dryer areas and I don’t usually spend a lot of time in the shelter.  It strikes me as a bit more sturdy than the rainbow.

     

    I would watch gear swap and get the first one of either that comes up… if you don’t like it, catch and release and you’re just out shipping.

     

    Cheers

    #3379733
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    Theo,

    always very difficult to judge tent performance with the wind already blowing on them because it is hard to work out how they were set up in the first place.

    see this video, for example, on how the Akto can look in the circumstances :

    YouTube video

    however a badly set up tent in still condition is very easy (well for some) to spot…

     

    #3380110
    Dean F.
    BPL Member

    @acrosome

    Locale: Back in the Front Range

    Theo-

    That’s why I said reasonably bomber. All things are relative, Brother, and we’re talking about an ultralight shelter, here. We have no idea what the wind speed was in your video, and the speaker has also clearly set the tent up cattywampus into the wind. But I mean are you really going to try to compare a TarpTent to a Hilleberg Akto? Yes, the designs are similar but he Akto is 70% heavier. It benefits from tons more tie-outs if nothing else, which I’ll point out could be added to the Moment if you wanted. And in fact, the designs are similar enough that yes I would in fact doubt that the Akto performs much better.

    So as ultralight tents go, yes, it is reasonably bomber. There are a lot of testimonials on this forum about Moments handling moderate winter conditions and wind very well. Yes, there are limits of course. (There always are.) E.g. they aren’t really made for heavy snow loads, though they do ok with the extra ridgepole and a couple of punches in the night. But no ultralight tent short of a TrailStar will handle 60kph winds well. And probably not even that…

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